[4] Briefing: Cameroon's intensifying conflict and what it means for civilians, "Gorji Dinka Releases Ambazonia Message | CameroonPostline", "Cameroon Head of State's Message to the Nation 2019", "Cameroon Humanitarian Response Plan (March 2021)", "Colonial Administrative Integration of African Territories: Identity and Resistance in Nigeria's Southern Cameroons, 19221961", "United Nations Trusteeship Council. However, tribal leaders may not partake in federal or state politics as to prevent or calm down or avoid any form of ethnic tension. [4] They are also encouraged to seek advice from tribal leaders regarding certain issues (land management, cultural protection etc.). When Germany lost her African colonies during the First World War (1914-1918), Cameroon ceased to be a German colony in 1916. A Biafra-Ambazonia weapons exchange will bolster the Anglophone separatist movement, which has suffered in recent months from a severe lack of financial support from the diaspora, perhaps due to waning interest, pervasive human rights abuses carried out by separatist groups against civilians, or major divisions in the diaspora leadership. White flower stands for Innocence, hope and peace. Biafra Nations League - BnL.png 2,122 2,122; 416 KB. forces and militants fighting for an independent "Ambazonia," a name . For its part, the Ambazonia movement says it will share lessons in making the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon ungovernable, a tactic that has largely been achieved. And what happens if the United States and China continue down a path of decoupling? Cameroonian President Paul Biya does not want anything. The panelists included Anne Richards, CEO of Fidelity International; Carmine Di Sibio, CEO of Ernst & Young; Mathias Miedreich, CEO of Umicore; and Lubna S. Olayan, chair of the executive committee of Olayan Financing Company. White stands for Hope, Peace and wisdom under God. [25], Flag of Bui. Midterm Elections). One critical concession was to require that laws applying to both states could only be adopted by the federal assembly if a majority of deputies in both federated states vote for them. Red disk stands for the Blood and strength of the people. Gorji Dinka became the first head of the Ambazonia Restoration Council. Some speculate that this is the result of a partnership, announced in April, between one of the major Cameroonian secessionist groups, the Ambazonia Governing Council, and the Indigenous People of . Green stands Fertility of the land. [4], The State Council has the power to impeach the Premier (State Governor), through a Motion of confidence. A Biafra-like agitation for independence has been unfolding in neighbouring Republic of Cameroon since November 2016. Watch FPs Ravi Agrawal in conversation with two of the contributors to the magazines cover story, Anne-Marie Slaughter and retired Gen. David Petraeus, as they reflect on whats surprised themand how to prevent future wars. Separatist Movements in Nigeria and Camero Want to read more on this topic or region? White stands for Providence from God, hope and peace. Cameroons Anglophone Crisis: How to Get to Talks? Separatist Movements in Nigeria and Cameroon Are Joining Forces Ambazonia, officially the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, also referred to as Amba Land, is an unrecognised breakaway state in West Africa which claims the Northwest Region and Southwest Region of Cameroon, though it currently controls almost none of the claimed territory. Similar communal violenceoften following farmer-grazer and ethnic lineshas flared across Mali, Niger, Chad, and Burkina Faso. All projects of the former West Cameroon I had either initiated or held very dear to my heart had to be taken over, mismanaged and ruined, e.g. In 1990, opposition political parties were legalized and John Ngu Foncha, the leading Anglophone in Cameroon's government, resigned from the governing party and encapsulated much of the dissatisfaction with the central government's attitude toward the Anglophone regions in his public resignation letter: [I]t became clear to me that I had become an irrelevant nuisance that had to be ignored and ridiculed. Green stands for the Fertility of the Land. Watch the full interview for insights on how industry thinks about deglobalization, the U.S.-China rivalry, the war in Ukraine, and much more. The two also discussed climate cooperation with China, the road to COP28, and much else. In 2005, the Southern Cameroons/Republic of Ambazonia became a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO) it was renewed in 2018. Golden Star stands for Leadership).[32]. Against a backdrop of bomb blasts, sporadic violence and repressive state measures, Cameroon's Anglophone crisis has entered a new and intensified phase. The country split from Sudan in 2011 and remains the African continent's youngest country. I am most of the time summoned to meetings by radio without any courtesy of my consultation on the agenda. Blue stands for Perseverance and liberty. [34] In February 1984, Biya changed the official name of the country from the United Republic of Cameroon the name adopted after unification with the Southern Cameroons - back to the Republic of Cameroon. Allied naval superiority allowed the swift capture of the Cameroonian coast, cutting the Germans off from reinforcement or resupply. The 10 Anglophone separatists, who call their country Ambazonia, were among the 47 Anglophone Cameroonians arrested in Nigeria in January 2018. . One-stop digest of politics, economics, and culture. [16], The British Cameroons Administration Ordinance, 1924 divided British Cameroons into the Northern Cameroons (administered as part of Northern Nigeria) and the Southern Cameroons (administered as part of Eastern Nigeria). At independence, a plebiscite was held, and voters in Southern Cameroons opted to join Cameroon as a constituent state of a federal republic. During this period various independence and federalist factions joined to form the Southern Cameroons National Council, a pressure group which undertook initiatives at the UN, the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, the Commonwealth, and with national embassies to bring attention to the region and Anglophone issues in Cameroon. n.push = n; It is bordered by Cameroon to the east, Nigeria to the west and Bioko island to the south east on the Gulf of Guinea . Tribal regions exist to preserve Ambazonian culture and Heritage. By the time British Southern Cameroons and French Cameroun gained independence in 1961, the French territory was more economically developed than its British counterpart. Two unequal former colonies became a single federal state; however, the disparities between the two were not addressed. For Saudis like me, nothing could be more disheartening than a divorce from the United States. Dispatch: All the roads in West Cameroon my government had either built, improved or maintained were allowed to deteriorate making Kumba-Mamfe, Mamfe-Bamenda, Bamenda-Wum-Nkambe, Bamenda-Mom inaccessible by road. The armed insurgency has turned into a guerrilla war, killing thousands of people, displacing nearly . [34], Flag of Meme. Watch FPs Ravi Agrawal in conversation with two of the contributors to the magazines cover story, Anne-Marie Slaughter and retired Gen. David Petraeus, as they reflect on whats surprised themand how to prevent future wars. n.loaded = !0; This list is courtesy of OPEC's monthly oil report. County flags are symbolic for their respective county and may have several meanings. [23], Flag of Menchum.Symbolism (Red stands for the Blood and strength of the people. Anglophones also resented the introduction of bilingual schools in West Cameroon as an attempt to assimilate Anglophones. .png 300 300; 10 KB. A year after the invasion, Ukraine is riddled with Russian collaborators and sympathizers. The Tide. After separatists issued a declaration of independence for the state of Ambazonia, police staged a crackdown opposed to secession. White stands for Hope and wisdom under God. Blue stands for Liberty and perseverance). Ambazonia is located in the west of Cameroon and southeast of Nigeria on the Gulf of Guinea. if (DWDE.dsgvo.isStoringCookiesOkay()) { Black stands for the people, the culture. Brown stands for the soil and fertility and Strength. For barrister Henry Baaboh, there is no need for a referendum like the ones which were held in Spains Catalan region or the Kurdish territory in Iraq. Further east towards Cameroon a series of volcanoes like the Manengouba or Kupe can be found. The Sun stands for Prosperity and Justice (Kumba school massacre). On 13 May 2019, the United Nations Security Council had an informal meeting to discuss the Anglophone Crisis. n.callMethod.apply(n, arguments) : n.queue.push(arguments) In early April, Cho Ayaba, the leader of the Ambazonia Governing Council, one of two major Anglophone separatist groups, and the well-known Biafran leader Nnamdi Kanu appeared in a press conference, livestreamed on social media, to announce a strategic and military alliance. The bay which is located in southwestern Cameroon is considered as the boundary between Southern Cameroons and the Republic of Cameroon. The quest for independence for Southern Cameroons began in October 2016 as lawyers and teachers took to the streets to decry perceived economic injustice as well ascultural and linguistic discrimination. In 2016, the Ambazonia movement turned violent when government security forces cracked down on teachers and lawyers protesting the marginalization of Anglophone Cameroonians in a majority Francophone country. [58][43][59] The governments of the United States and Germany have expressed concern over the human rights violations and scaled back or cancelled military cooperation with Cameroon over reported abuses. Military Excesses Its Friday December 14, 2018, and the Mile 17 bus station in Buea, capital of the South West Region, is busy like a beehive. A development in which Fulanis become major actors, for better or for worse, in a country like Cameroon then gets exacerbated in Nigeria because of its own demographics and population categorizations, said Fomunyoh, of the National Democratic Institute. Click + to receive email alerts when new stories are published on. Meanwhile, government forces have torched entire villages suspected of harboring separatists, disappeared and executed civilians without due process, and tortured detainees. Violence by both sides undermined negotiations in early 2017, which fell apart without an agreement. [17] In 1953, the Southern Cameroons representatives in the Eastern Nigerian Legislature demanded a separate regional government for the Southern Cameroons with seat in Buea. Four stripes represent the Four districts of the county). On the west towards the border to Nigeria the lowlands of the Mamfe basin can be found. Cameroon cracks down on Anglophone separatists. German explorer Gustav Nachtigal signed key treaties with several prominent kings. Though, the Federal Republic of Ambazonia is not recognized by most states, there has been a proposed constitution for the territory. Symbolism (Red stands for the strength and blood of the people. 1961. At 4,040m (13,250ft) it is the highest mountain in Western Africa and the 28th highest in Africa overall. Equatorial State Counties (demonym; Equatorian): County Flag of Fako. There are 54 countries in Africa today, according to the United Nations. There are protected areas like the Korup National Park[62] or the Takamanda National Park. Premiers (or State Governors) are responsible for State finance and economic developments. The government of 83-year-old President Paul Biya has showed no signsto compromise. In 1966, he succeeded in banning opposition political parties, establishing a one-party state. This insurgent group has mostly conducted its operations in Borno state, displacing millions of people. How does industry define morality? Red disk stands for the blood of those who died for the struggle. Delivered Wednesday. (Former British Southern Cameroons) STATE HOUSE BUEA OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT 6218 Georgia Avenue NW Suite 1-459 | Washington DC 20011-5125 Phone Number (318)243-6715 Fax: (318)274-3202 Email: ambafirst2018@gmail.com Saturday 31 December 2022 Ref. Strategically located in the Gulf of Guinea at the hinge of Africa, Ambazonia is bordered to the east . Most recently, in early April, armed gunmen attacked a prison in Imo state, situated in the Biafra region, and aided in the escape of nearly 2,000 prisoners. Targeted ethnic violence against the Igbos by Fulani and other northern Nigerian ethnic groups was one of several factors that led to the civil war in the 1960s. Yellow stands for Justice and prosperity. Let us see if the so-called Human "Rice" Watch will utter a statement. The rough terrain of the Cameroon line and the lack of navigable rivers in much of the interior of the region claimed by Ambazonia limited colonial activity outside the coastal regions. A/60/40, Vol. In the north it is separated from Europe by the Mediterranean Sea, in the northeast, is separated from Asia by the Suez Canal and farther by the Red Sea. Address: 11207A Lockwood Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20901, Phone Number: (301) 593-4879 Boko Haram is an Islamist militant rebel group that has been carrying out brutal attacks on towns in Northern Nigeria since 2011. In early 1985, Anglophone lawyer and President of the Cameroon Bar Association Fon Gorji Dinka circulated a number of essays and pamphlets arguing that the Biya government was unconstitutional and calling for an independent Republic of Ambazonia. [6] Ambazonian forces have struggled to form a united front, and internecine conflicts have hampered efforts to negotiate with Cameroon or establish control over the various militia groups engaged in the fighting. Midland State Counties (demonym;Midlanda): Flag of Lebialem County. By Office Phone: (301) 593-4879. It is located between Nigeria to the west and north, and Cameroun to the east; it is wedged between West Africa and the former French Equatorial Africa. Blue stands for the ocean and rivers, freedom, justice, perseverance, vigilance. From: Africa Direct.